Reviews by Longstaff:

WTF did they do to this beer? This is the first time I tried it since they put in the new brewhouse and I'm not impressed. This used to be a wonderfully drinkable beer with orange and subtle spice flavors that made it quite refreshing. Now its just overloaded with phenolics and all you can taste and smell is cloves. I can't get past the phenolic flavors enough to even finish a bottle. Just horrible. Hopefully this is just temporary and they can get it back to where it used to be.

More User Reviews:

Poured a nice deep/hazy yellow color with real nice big rocky head.Aroma of lemon zest is most prevelant with some subtle spiciness,taste was spicey and a little smokey with a good lingering tartness to finish it off.A real nice wheat beer that is real easy to drink,well done Belgian style here.

A: Yellowish-gold with no head of which to speak. The most important aspect to note is the crazy amount of tiny yeast chunks suspended in the body. In all, this is sort of a flat, hazy, and somewhat uninspired looking beer.

S: Spicy Belgian yeast is the dominant aroma. Banana, clove, coriander, cumin, and other sweeter spices abound. A bit of a cider character is also present. This is a bold Witbier bouquet.

T: Spicy-banana-clove-wheat. This is really very flavorful with a big presence. The clove and coriander spice notes sizzle on the sides of my mouth while the banana creaminess disperses over my tongue. Quite yummy.

M: This is an exciting MF with the spicy yeast as the main player. Whirlwind is light bodied with just the right amount of zesty kick on my palate.

D: I enjoyed this Witbier, which is usually not my favorite style. The spicy yeast character won me over and I would have another.

A: Pale gold and clear with pretty decent 1/2" white head for a Witbier. Zero lacing.

S: An abundance of that bubblegum wheat smell on the nose.

T&M: Lots of wheat and malt are prevalent right off the bat. This has some sweetness but the overall flavor is just a bit dry. Weight is light but is quite flavorful of malt. There is some bittering here but it doesn't seem to be a noticeable flavoring component. Carbonation is light but persistent. The finish is relatively short but has that typical "wheat chaffe" linger that I personally don't care for.

D: This is a decent wheat beer. It has all of the typical characteristics, including the aftertaste on the finish. There is nothing particularly interesting that sets this brew apart from so many others. It's a decent summer drink and it will probably be more palatable to those that appreciate a decent witbier.

This baby pours a beautiful opaque golden yellow. A small head forms and then slowly subsides. The smell is quite complex....pepper, coriander, some cloves, a bit of banana. Has an almost earthy, barnyard scent that I'm guessing is coming from the Belgian yeast.

The first sip is an explosion on my tastebuds...wow...the cloves are coming through first, along with some pepper. This is a spicy brew. A bready maltiness runs in the background. There's a subtle fruitiness and wheat tones in there as well. Overall, quite tasty and fairly complex.

Mouthfeel is good, it rolls over the tounge nicely. The drinkability on this one is pretty good too...I think I might tire of style after awhile...but a few would be nice. It's a nice lighter brew that will give your palate a workout. Overall, I'd say this is a quality witbier from Victory and it's worth it to hunt this one down.

Appearance: Pours a very cloudy (expected for an unfilterd, bottle condition ale) pale straw liquid with a pure white creamy head -- nice head retention too.

Smell: Spicy, clove aromas with some jerky/meaty smells way in the back.

Taste: Upfront, a smooth and creamy mouthfeel that immediately quells any thirst with a spicy and lemon puckering flavour. The beer's carbonation is tight and very active -- adding to the overall crispness. As everything calms down, husk tannins pull thru to create a bit of a dry palate, but the feel is soft throughout. Some grass and _extremely_ faint jerky-like flavours follow and linger into the aftertaste.

Notes: $8.99 a 6-pak in Massachusetts, and worth every damn penny. Whirlwind Witbier could hands-down become one of my favourite "gotta quench my monster thirst" beers. A prime example of a Belgian-style Witbier in all respects.

Showing a big foam is not a problem but the head only leaves a thin patchy lace, the beer was clear after pouring 2/3 of the bottle and the yeast had to be more than just swirled in to cloud the liquid.

Mildly peppery, hint of orange peel, powdery almost mildew-like yeast with a faint tart fruitiness makes up the aroma.

Ample carbonation with a moderate body. Vague maltiness is a shade grainy, big tart fruitiness with hints of plum and lemon. Tad nutty and musty from the yeast. Light spice character within … touch of clove and citric zest shows the most. Virtually clean after taste.

A decent attempt at the style, there is better out there and even the mass produced beers of this style are just as good if not better. Still worth a try.

Appearance: 12 oz bottle pours a hazy, but glowing, banana yellow body with two fingers of soapy white head. Retention is average, but lacing is magnificent...sheets and patches all over the glass.
Aroma: Very fragrant! Spicy pepper, coriander, and clove lead into a fruity merangue of banana citrus, fresh lime, lemonzest, and woodsy yeast.
Mouthfeel: Light medium bodied, with spritzy, yet relaxed, carbonation.
Taste: Mouthwatering wheat grain flavors mingle with spicy notes of clove, lemongrass, and pepper. Fresh lime and smooth banana esters really make this one a standout. Soft carbonation is just right.
Drinkability: Are you kidding? This is one of the best wheat brews I've ever sampled. Excellent taste and a smooth, well rounded profile, all around. This is one to stock up on for the summer. Very highly recommended!

Arrived at the table sporting a cloudy pineapple juice color. Thin layer of bright white head soon fades to a edge-only circle. Some lacing of the glass is noted. Aromas are yeasty, spicy, orange zesty, and a bready/doughy note as well. Flavor is like a cross between a mild Belgian ale and a hefeweizen. There's the wheaty flavor from the hefe mixed with the zippy spices of the Belgian. Different, and it comes off well. Crisply-carbonated and slides down the gullet quite easily. Finishes with a clean palate and just a dash of "wheatness" on the palate. Superb summer beer for these soon-to-be-arriving hot and humid Richmond summer days.

OK, these numbers are going to seem strange, but this beer is a little schizophrenic.

A-Pours a slightly hazy, light yellow with a thin 1/2" white head, which drops off to almost nothing after 2-3 minutes. Not much carbonation for a beer of this style. No lacing on the glass was seen.

S-A nice, funky, Belgiany coriander and orange in the nose. Also a musty, earthy smell. Bananas and clove are also present. This smell seems to increase as I drink the beer.

T-Some thin bread-like malt flavor, followed by a pleasant sour-ish orange/pineapple/banana, which is on style. Slight hop bittering, which is true to style. The malt seems lacking. A lingering, pleasant, sour-like flavor of banana/clove in the finish. This beer has a long, pleasant finish.

M-The mouthfeel is thin. Thin malt, and not nearly carbonated enough for style. Hard to believe they were aiming for this.

D-Having said all that, this is one thirst-quenching sumbitch. Really hits the spot when you're in the need for a fire-putter-outer. I assume that is what Victory was striving for when they made this.
Victory is one of my favorite breweries; a lot of their beers are world class. When they decide to get serious about Belgians, this one will be too.